Towel dispensing apparatus



July 8, 1941. PR|E E 2,248,193

TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT0R5 [105505 Z. Pe/oz WWML ATTORNEY 5 y 1941. L. L. PRICE ET AL 2 81TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Ma 31, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSl/mef/vofi. fie/ai BY Mae/cf Mzrir ATTORNEYS July 8, 1941.

s Shets-Sheet s INVENTORS Awei/vcfz. fle/ai Mae/0i if fihzrir ATTORNEYSPatented July 8, 1941 TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Laurence L. Price, LosAngeles, and Maurice E.

Maltby, Bell, Calif.

Application. May 31, 1939, Serial No. 276,518

11 Claims.

This inventio-nrelates to improvements in towel dispensing devices. Itmay be considered as an improvement over the disclosure set forth in ourprior United-States- Patent No.- 2,135,767, issued November 8, 1938.

In the patent above referred to there is a towel dispensing apparatuswherein a rotary stop rotates and the toweling is dispensed. Arranged inthe path-of the rotary stopis a lever connected to a dashpot so thatas-the rotary stop rotates'thedashpot is actuated or set. Movement ofthelever by the rotary stop shifts an engageable stop'into thepathof therotary stop so as to be engageable therewith so that when the two stopsengage they remain engaged to arrest further discharge of toweling untila predetermined period of time elapses determined by the dashpotreturning to normal position. In that construction the engageable stopbeing integral with the-lever is sointimately connected with the timedelay mechanism, namely the dashpot and its associated structure, thatpulling on the toweling is capable in some instances of influencing oraffecting the rate of operating of the dashpot. In that construction thesame means which urges thedashpot to return to normal position serves toshift the engageable stop out. of the pathofthe rotary stop.

It is. an object of the present invention to provide a towehdispensingapparatus wherein the engageable stop movesout of thepath of the rotarystop by gravity, or at least is so independent of the time delaymechanism that forces imposed thereon by the movable stop will notaffect or influence the rate of operation of the time delay mechanism.In this way, the means utilized to urge the time delay mechanism toreturn to normalposition does not operate upon the engageable stop tomove it out of the-path of the rotary stop.

Another object of theinventionis to provide an improved-simple timedelay mechanism controlling the disengagement ofthe rotary andengageable stops. When dashpots, vacuum cups, and the like are employedthe rate of operation of the time delay mechanism is somewhat affectedby atmospheric conditions. Thus, the rate of operation of dashpots andvacuumcups and like devices is somewhat aiiected by the humidity of theair and temperature. The present invention contemplates a timedelay-mechanism which will not have its timing affected by thesechanging atmospheric conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a towel dispensingapparatus of such a design as to be capable'of simultaneously dispensingtoweling from two supply rolls over thesamemeasuring roll. Devices ofthis character are serviced from time to time and if-thesupply roll islarge- 'I ly exhaustedandreplaced by a new supply roll,

the largely exhaused roll has heretofore-usually beenwasted. On theother hand, if the partially exhausted supply roll is left in themachine to be completely exhausted before replacing it with a new supplyroll there is danger of them'achine remaining exhausted for some timebefore the machine is againserviced and a new supply roll installed. Bymeans of the present-invention, when a supply roll has been largelyexhausted it may be replaced by a new supply roll and the remainder ofthe old roll caused to feed and dispense toweling over the samemeaSuringroll, thus delivering two towels until the largely exhausted supply rollis completely exhausted. Thereafter, toweling isdispensed onlyfrom thesupply roll last installed in the machinedelivering onetowelat a time.-7

A further object of the invention is'to provide a towel dispensingapparatus wherein there is a measuring roll over which toweling from asupply roll is trained, the supply roll being supported on relativelynarrow spaced supporting rails which slope toward themeasuring r011 sothat the supplyroll will be normally urged against the measuring roll-in such a -manner that there will be a minimum amount of fric-. tionretarding rotation-of thesupplyroll as the toweling is withdrawntherefrom.

Still another objectof the invention is toprovide a towel dispensingapparatus having a measuring roll over which the toweling from a supplyroll is trained which is enclosed within a housing and which has a timedelay mechanism controlling the rate of consecutive operations, themeasuring roll being equipped with a disc or dial protrudingthroughawall of the housing enabling it to be manually operated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description andspecifically pointedout in the appended. claims; reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the'improved towel dispensingapparatus taken substantially through the inside of the cover ofthemachine or substantially upon the line ll upon Fig. 4 in the directionindicated;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of the machine; 7

Fig. 3 is a partial view in perspective illustrating a mechanism thatmay be optionally employed to render the machine automatic in the sensethat the beginning of the succeeding towel will be automaticallyprojected from the machine when the machine is released and is ready forsubsequent operation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 4-4 uponFig. 1 in the direction indicated, illustrating the parts in normalposition wherein the machine has cleared or released and is ready for asubsequent operation;

Fig. 5 is a partial view illustrating the mechanism shown in Fig. 4, butin a position wherein the time delay means is partially set by therotary stop;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the time delay meansas having been set by the rotary stop;

Fig. 7 is a partial view showing the construction illustrated in Fig. 6,but showing the parts in that position wherein the time delay means isfunctioning and the stops are in engagement to arrest the furtherdischarge of toweling prior to the partsreturning to the position shownin Fig. 4; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are partial views illustrating the details of constructionand operation of the pallet and escapement teeth forming the time delaymechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the machine is enclosedwithin a suitable housing providing a bottom I0, end walls II and I2,and a back wall l3. The housing is completed by means of a cover whichprovides a top I4 and a front wall IE on which may be mounted a mirrorI6. The cover is hingedly connected to the top of the back wall as by ahinge I1. Intermediate its ends the bottom I is spaced from the bottomof the front wall l to form a slot for the discharge of toweling.

' Within the housing and on the bottom l0 there are two standards l8 andI9, these being arranged adjacent the end walls II and I2 respectively.Against the opposed faces of these standards there are downwardly andforwardly curved supporting rails 20 which are angular in crosssectionand which have horizontal flanges supporting a supply roll of towelingsuch as paper toweling indicated at 2|. The inclination of these railscauses the supply roll to be normally urged against a measuring roll 22.The width of the flanges of the rails is quite narrow so as to afford aminimum frictional contact with the bottom of the supply roll whichwould otherwise retard its rotation on unwinding the toweling therefrom.The free end of the roll 2| is trained over the measuring roll 22 andbetween the measuring roll and a follower roll 23. The rolls 22 and 23are rotatably mounted between the standards l8 and I9, the ends of thefollower roll extending through small slots therein and being urgedtoward the measuring roll by means of coil springs 24. The papertoweling on passing between rolls 22 and 23, passes adjacent a cutter orsevering member 25 mounted between the standards and then is guided bymeans of a curved uide 26 toward the slot in the bottom l0 immediatelybehind the bottom edge of front wall IS. The measuring roll has mountedon one end thereof in the preferred form of construction a disc or dial21, a portion of which projects through a slot 28 in the front wall l5so that the measuring roll may be manually rotated thereby. The otherend of the measuring roll is equipped with a pinion 29 which meshes witha gear 30. The gear 3|] is rotatably mounted on the outer side ofstandard I8 and has struck out from its body a stop 3| constituting therotary stop of the device which rotates as the toweling is withdrawn bythe measuring roll. While the ratio of the pinion 29 to gear 30 mayvary, a suitable gear ratio employed is 1:2.

An engageable stop 32 is formed on a lever or cam follower 33 which ispivoted on the outer side of the standard l8 as at 34. This lever or camfollower is designed to be lifted so that its engageable stop 32 may belifted into the path of the rotary stop 3| as indicated in Fig. 7.However, when released, the lever or cam follower 33 will fall bygravity from the position shown in Fig. 7 into the position shown inFig. 4 to clear the stops, or in other words, to lower the engageablestop 32 out of the path of the rotary stop 3| It will be noted that withthis arrangement any forces imparted by the rotary stop 3| against theengageable stop 32 will be merely transmitted thereby to pivot 34 andwill not be transmitted to the time delay mechanism to influence oraffect its operation.

The time delay mechanism comprises a pallet shifting or lifting member35 pivoted at 36 on the outside of standard I8 and, an escapement toothcarrying member 31 which is pivotally mounted on a standard 38 as by apivot 39. The pallet shifting or lifting member 35 has an arcuate slot40 formed therein through which a small stud 4| extends so as to guidethe shifting or lifting movement of the pallet carrying member. Thepallet carrying member has an outwardly extending arm 42 and a smallspindle 43 connects the body of the pallet shifting member with the freeend of this arm. This spindle serves to rotatably mount a rotary oroscillatory pendulum 44.

A portion of the spindle 43 is cut away as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9,and opposite this cutaway portion the pendulum carries a. small pin 45.The spindle 43 and the pin 45, together constitute a type of palletrigid with the rotary pendulum 44 and which is engageable withescapement teeth 46 formed on the topof the escapement tooth carryingmember 31.

The lower end of the pallet lifting or shifting member 35 provides afinger 41 normally arranged in the path of the rotary stop 3| so as tobe capable of being engaged thereby and lifted. Lifting of the fingerserves to lift or shift the pallet carrying member 35 about its pivot 35to lift the pallet formed by spindle 43 and pin 45 out of engagementwith the escapement teeth 46. Adjacent this finger the bottom edge ofthe pallet lifting member is arcuately formed as indicated at 48, radiusof curvature of this portion being that of the path of rotary stop 3|.

The escapement teeth 46 are shaped approximately in the mannerillustrated. The escapement tooth carrying member 31 has an adjustablepart 49 carried thereby, the position of which is adjusted by means of abolt 50 slidable through a slot 5|. The adjustable part 49 on theescapement tooth carrying member 31 is also normally interposed in thepath of the rotary stop 3|. However, its position is such that theadjustable member 49 is engaged or encountered by the rotary stop 3|shortly after the finger 41 is engaged thereby. The escapement toothcarrying member has rigid therewith a cam 52 on if th'bolt 50 is shiftedto the left-hand endof which the lever or cam follower 33 rests. Theescapement tooth carrying member is urged into a normal position in aclockwise direction as illustrated in Fig. 4' against a stop 53 by meansof a coil tension spring 54. A spring 55 mounted on the standard 3engages. the top of the pallet shifting member 35v and urges it into itslowermost position- The. operation of the above-described constructionis as follows.

wherein the lever or cam follower 33 is in its lowermost positionwherein the engageable stop 32' clears the rotary stop 3 I In thisposition-the apparatus is in. condition for subsequent operation.

Onrotating the measuring roll 22 eithermanually by means of the disc ordial 21 or by pulling on the free end of thetoweling, the rotary stop 3|on the gear 30 is rotated. Stop 3| first passes over the top of stop 32and as rotation continues the rotary stop 3| encountersthe end of finger4T lifting the pallet carrying member 35 and causing it toswing a shortdistance in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 36. This liftsthe pallet formed by spindle 43 and pin 45 clear of the escapement teeth46. As the rotary stop 3| remains in contact with the arcuate edge 48the pallet shifting member is held in this elevated position against theaction of spring 55 until after the escapement tooth carrying member 31has been shifted. Fig. illustrates the pallet shifting member as havingbeen lifted and the escapement tooth carrying member 3! about to beshifted by the rotary stop engaging the adjustable member 49 thereof.The continued rotation of the rotary stop shifts the'escapeme'nt toothcarrying member 31 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the positionshown in Fig. 6. In this position, as shown in Fig. 6, the rotary stop3| has just released both the pallet shifting member and the escapementtooth carrying member allowing the pallet formed by spindle 43 and pin45 to drop against one of the escapement teeth 46. The arrangement ofthe pallet on the pendulum is such as to cause the pendulum to oscillateabout spindle'43 as a center while the escapementtooth carrying member31 is being returned to its initial position by spring 54. The operationof the pendulum is of course constant under a given set of conditionsand is unaffected by temperature or humidity of the atmosphere. Thepallet works its way, tooth by tooth, across the escapement teethoperating the pendulum while the escapement tooth carrying member 31 isreturned to its initial position as shown in Fig. 4, thus causing a timedelay in the return of the escapement tooth carrying member 3! and itscam 52. U

When the escapement tooth carrying member 31 is moved from its initialposition shown in Fig. 4, to the position shown in Fig. 6, the cam 52lifts the lever orcam follower 33 interposing the engageable stop 32 inthe path of the rotary stop 3|. Stop 32 remains in this elevatedposition until the time interval has passed to return the escapementtooth carrying member 31 to theinitial position when lever or camfollower 33 drops by gravity, thus clearing stop 32 from the path ofrotary stop 3| and the machine is thus ready for a subsequent operation.7

By adjusting the position of the adjustable member 43, the length ofstroke or length of shifting of the escapement tooth carrying member bythe rotary stop 3| can be varied. Thus,

I Fig. :4 illustratesthe parts in normal position.

' outer side of the disc'2l.

the slot 5| the escapement tooth carrying member 31. will be shiftedonly a few teeth per operation. The time delay under such circumstanceswill be relatively short in returning it to its initial position. If theadjustable member 49 is. shifted in the opposite direction the stroke ofthe escapement tooth carrying member will be much greater and.consequently, when the pallet is re-deposited on the escapement teeth itwill have to release a much larger number of teeth-in order to permitreturn to the initial position, and consequently the time involved inreturning to the initial position will be considerably greater. Thus byadjusting member 49 the time interval between which successivewithdrawals of toweling is permissible can be adjusted. I

Itwill of course be understood that when stops 3| and 32 engage, furtherwithdrawal of toweling is arrested. The extended length of toweling maybe severed by pulling it against the severing member 25. Upon theapparatus returning to its normal position, that'is upon theconstruction moving from the position shown in Fig. '7 to theposition'shown in Fig. 4 wherein the lever or cam follower 33 merelydrops by gravity upon rotation of the cam 52, the machine is incondition for subsequent operation. This may be accomplished by manuallyrotating the dial or disc 21. v The construction shown in Fig. 3 may be0ptionally employed on the machine to render it somewhat automatic inits operation. This construction comprises a pin 21 mounted on the Thispin is so arranged that when stops 3| and 32 are in engagement it isjust beyond center, or in other words, just beyond a vertical lineextending through the axis of rotation of the disc 2? and the measuring,roll on which it is mounted. The pin operates'in a bifurcation 55 on apivoted bracket 51 which is urged downwardly by means of a spring 58. Bythis construction, when stops 3| and 32 disengage or clear on themechanism shifting from the position shown in Fig. '7 to the positionshown in Fig. l, the spring 58 can become effective to ad-. Vance themeasuring roll slightly less than onehalf of a revolution. This causesthe forward edge of the next succeeding length of toweling to beautomatically advanced through the slot so as to be partially extendedfrom the machine and to permit its being pulled to withdraw the nextsucceeding towel. It will be understood'that during rotation of themeasuring roll the bracket 51 is merely operated by pin 2T but when thestops 3| and 32 engage the pin 21 is left in its uppermost position andthe spring 58 placed under sufiicient tension to cause this advancement.

Towel dispensing machines of this character are serviced from time totime to replace or supply supply rolls of toweling indicated at 2|. Itnot infrequently occurs that at the time of servicing, the supply roll2| is largely exhausted, there remaining thereon an insuflicient numberof towels to last until the next servicing. If the remaining portion ofthe roll is allowed to remain in the machine, the machine will eitherhave to be closely watched in order to supply a new supply roll when theprevious roll becomes exhausted, or the remainder of the previous rollwill have to be taken out of the machine and largely Wasted or elserewound to form a new supply roll.

In the bottom of the machine we provided a partition 59 which forms apocket 60 designed to receive the remainder of a largely exhaustedsupply roll indicated at 21a. The free end of this largely exhaustedroll is trained over the measuring roll 22 along with the free end ofthe supply roll 2| and while towels remain on roll 2 la there aresimultaneously delivered by the machine two thicknesses of toweling.Thus, as long as towels remain on roll 2Ia the machine willsimultaneously deliver two towels per operation. In this way it ispossible to advantageously use up the remaining portions of supplyrolls, it being re garded that it is more advantageous to deliver to theuser an additional towel per operation than to either waste or rewindthe paper toweling on the remainder of roll 2 la. The bracket orpartition 59 merely serves to retain the roll 2la in proper positionwithin the machine.

From the above-described construction will be appreciated that a noveland advantageous towel dispensing machine has been devised wherein theengageable stop that is engaged by the movable stop 3| moves out of thepath of the movable stop by gravity and is so arranged that it does notinfluence or affect the time delay mechanism regardless of forcesimposed thereon by the engagement of the rotary stop 3| therewith. Also,the time delay mechanism employed herein is of such construction thatits parts can be readily manufactured from metal stampings, and it willbe unaffected by changes in atmospheric conditions such as temperatureand humidity. A given setting of the adjustable member 49 will require apredetermined length of time between successive operations of themachine and this time will not be affected or changed by changes ofatmospheric conditions. The machine isalso advantageous in that it makesprovision for using up, instead of wasting, small portions of supplyrolls of toweling.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A towel dispensing apparatus having time delay means comprising apendulum controlled pallet, escapement teeth engageable therewith andurged relatively thereto, stop means arresting the discharge of towelingoperable by the escapement teeth, and means operable by the withdrawalof toweling for causing the pallet to engage the escapement teeth at apoint requiring a predetermined time interval to elapse before the stopmeans is released.

2. A towel dispensing apparatus having stop means for arresting thedischarge of toweling after a predetermined quantity has been withdrawn,time delay means for causing the stop means to release to permit thefurther withdrawal of toweling after an elapse of time comprising apendulum controlled pallet, escapement teeth engageable therewithoperable to cause the stop means to arrest but normally urged into aposition to cause the stop means to release, and means operable by thedischarge of toweling to cause the escapement teeth ,to engage thepallet at such a position as to cause the elapse of a predeterminedinterval before the stop means releases.

3. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising a rotary stop rotatable asthe toweling is dispensed, an engageable stop movable into and out ofthe path of the rotary stop, means including escapement teeth for movingthe engageable stop into the path of the rotary stop but normallypermitting it to move out of the path, a pallet and means operable bythe rotary stop for causing the escapement teeth to engage the palletand cause a time delay between the engagement of the rotary andengageable stops and the disengagement thereof.

4. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising a rotary stop rotatable asthe toweling is dispensed, an engageab-le stop movable into and out ofthe path of the rotary stop, a pallet, escapement teeth engageable withthe pallet, and means operable by the rotary stop' for shifting thepallet, moving the escapement teeth thereunder and reengaging the palletand escapement teeth to cause a time delay in the escapement teethreturning to normal position, and means operable by the escapement teethreturning to normal position for allowing the engageable stop to moveout of the path of the rotary stop.

5. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising a rotary stop rotatable asthe toweling is dispensed, an engageable stop movable into and out ofthe path of the rotary stop, a pallet, means arranged in the path of therotary stop for shifting the pallet, escapement teeth engageable by thepallet and urged into a normal position, means engageable by the rotarystop for shifting the escapement teeth from the normal position to aposition wherein they may be reengaged by the pallet to cause a timedelay in the escapement teeth returning to normal, and means operable bythe escapement teeth being moved from normal position for moving theengageable stop into the path of the rotary stop and upon returning tonormal position allowing the engageable stop to move from said path.

6. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising a rotary stop rotatable asthe toweling is dispensed, an engageable stop movable into and out ofthe path of the rotary stop, a pallet, means arranged in the path of therotary stop for shifting the pallet, escapement teeth engageable by thepallet and urged into a normal position, means engageable by the rotarystop for shifting the escapement teeth from the normal position to aposition wherein they may be reengaged by the pallet to cause a timedelay in the escapement teeth returning to normal, said means beingadjustable so that the amount of displacement of the escapement teethfrom normal position may be varied, and means operable by the escapementteeth being moved from normal position for moving the engageable stopinto the path of the rotary stop and upon returning to normal positionallowing the engageable stop to move from said path.

'7. A towel dispensing apparatus having a rotary stop rotatable as thetoweling is dispensed, pallet shifting means having a portion normallyin the path of the rotary stop, a pallet carried 'thereby, a rotarypendulum associated with the pallet, escapement teeth engageable withthe pallet, means normallyinterposed in the path of the rotary stop forshifting the escapement teeth from their normal position to a positionwherein they are engaged by the pallet and thus cause a time delay inreturning to normal position, and an engageable stop movable by theshifting of the escapement teeth from normal position into the path ofthe rotary stop and allow it to move therefrom upon the escapement teethreturning to normal position.

8. A towel dispensing apparatus having a rotary stop rotatable asthetoweling is dispensed, pallet shifting means having a portionnormally in the path of the rotary stop, a pallet carried thereby, arotary pendulum associated with the pallet, escapement teeth engageablewith the pallet, adjustable means normally interposed in the path of therotary stop for shifting the escapement teeth from their normal positionto a position wherein they are engaged by the pallet and thus cause atime delay in returning to normal position, and an engageable stopmovable by the shifting of the escapement teeth from normal positioninto the path of the rotary stop and allow it to move therefrom upon theescapement teeth returning to normal position.

9. A towel dispensing apparatus having a rotary stop rotatable as thetoweling is dispensed and a movable stop engageable therewith, means forcausing the engageable stop to be moved into and out of the path of therotary stop including escapement teeth, a pallet engageable therewith,pendulum means associated with the pallet, and means operable by therotary stop for disengaging the pallet from the escapement teeth,shifting the escapement teeth with respect thereto and reestablishingengagement between the pallet and the escapement teeth.

10. A towel dispensing apparatus having a rotary stop rotatable as thetoweling is dispensed, and. an engageable stop engageable therewith toarrest withdrawal of toweling, and pendulum controlled means for movingthe engageable stop into and out of the path of the rotary means.

11. A towel dispensing apparatus having a rotary stop rotatable as thetoweling is dispensed, an engageable stop engageable therewith to arrestwithdrawal of toweling, pendulum controlled means for moving theengageable stop into and out of the path of the rotary means, and meansfor varying the length of time of operation of the pendulum means sothat the timing of movements of the engageable stop may be varied.

LAURENCE L. PRICE. MAURICE E. MALTBY.

